


Meep

by CelticKnot



Series: Mass Effect Fictober 2019 [7]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types
Genre: Fictober 2019, Gen, Humor, MEFFictober2019, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 15:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20950745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelticKnot/pseuds/CelticKnot
Summary: Shepard reunites with an old friend--but she has to catch him first! MEFFictober prompt: Space hamster.





	Meep

_ "Meep!" _

Shepard froze. That little chirp sounded so familiar, but… it was impossible. There was no way the little guy was still here on the  _ Normandy,  _ not after all this time and all the retrofits. Surely someone had taken him in, or brought him to a shelter. Or maybe he'd escaped. But he couldn't still be here. Could he?

_ "Meep!" _

Shepard spun toward the source of the noise and dropped to her knees to peer under a table--and found herself face to familiar little face with the very same hamster she'd adopted from the Citadel almost a year ago.

She laughed aloud in incredulous delight. "Mr. Smee! It  _ is  _ you!"

But Mr. Smee had never been particularly smart, even for a hamster. Either that, or he just didn’t recognize her.  _ “Meep!”  _ he squawked, his beady little eyes wide with fear. And when she reached out to scoop him up, he bolted.

“Aw, come on, little guy,” she wheedled. Though she tried to keep her voice calm, Shepard found herself getting nervous. A hamster could get into all kinds of trouble down here in the engineering subdeck. He could get stuck, or hurt. There wasn’t any food down here. Or he could chew into something important and derail their mission--not to mention get his little self fried.

_ “Meep!” _

He was behind her now. Shepard crept slowly toward his hiding place, hoping she could keep him calm long enough to catch him. But as she approached, he darted out again, running between her feet to hide under the table again.

Shepard chuckled. “Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be, is it?” she murmured. She crouched down to look at him, and he stared back at her, the fear gone from his eyes, replaced by what she could swear was a mischievous twinkle. “You’re playing with me, aren’t you, Mr. Smee?”

_ “Meep!”  _ he affirmed.

“Well, I’m not,” she said in a singsong voice, slowly and casually adjusting her position. He watched her every move, but only twitched his itty-bitty nose. “You’re coming home with me. Yes, you are!”

With every bit of cybernetically enhanced speed she possessed, she reached out like a striking snake to grab him.

But he was even faster. Her hand closed on empty air as he scampered past her again with a triumphant  _ “Meep!” _

Shepard swore under her breath. “I am not getting outsmarted by a rodent,” she muttered to herself.

Time for a change of tactics. She stood and pretended to busy herself with some random piece of machinery, all the while keeping half an eye on Mr. Smee’s hiding place. Maybe if she ignored him for a minute, he’d come out.

One minute turned into five, turned into ten. Just when she was about to give up, though, a little pink nose poked out, sniffing the air. Shepard stilled, watching out the corner of her eye as Mr. Smee crept out into the open. He edged closer and closer, sniffing at her as if daring her to come after him again. When she still didn’t move, he grew bolder, finally crawling up onto her boot.

It was now or never. Before he could dart away again, Shepard lifted her foot, carrying him up off the ground with nowhere to go. He clung to her boot with a startled  _ “Meep!” _ And finally, her fingers found soft fur. She had him.

He wriggled for a moment, then finally relaxed. “There you go, little buddy,” Shepard crooned. “I gotcha. You’ll be much safer with me, you know.” She tapped her radio on. “Hey, Steve?”

_ “Yes, Commander?” _

“I need you to reach out to the Citadel. Find a pet shop, and requisition a hamster cage.”

Cortez hesitated.  _ “I’m sorry, Commander, did you say you need a… hamster cage?” _

“You heard me right.”

_ “Uh… aye, Commander.” _

Shepard grinned at the little creature in her hand. “It’s good to have you back, little buddy.”

_ “Meep!” _


End file.
